This blog is a result of the heavy censoring of the media by the military dictatorship regime.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Acclaimed academic forced out of Fiji's USP

NARSEY

Renowned academic Professor Wadan Narsey, who lectured at University of the South Pacific for 30 years, has been forced to resign from his post.

CHANDRA

This is despite the USP announcing on Wednesday that Professor Narsey ended his employment at USP by mutual agreement. His resignation took effect immediately, on Wednesday. Sources say Professor Narsey's forced resignation is a direct attack on academic freedom in USP.

Professor Narsey acquired regional acclaim because of his work and principles. He is currently on a Sabbatical in Japan until November.

Sources have established that USP's Vice-Chancellor, Rajesh Chandra, did not stand up for Professor Narsey and followed a directive from the military regime's Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to get rid of him following a series of opinions criticising the regime and its policies.

Chandra did not defend academic freedom but told Professor Narsey to stop attacking the regime and its policies, sources say. This is despite the fact that Professor Narsey always based his opinion on facts and statistics, and offered alternatives.

On December 16, 2010, we reported that an academic's contract was not going to be renewed because he was exercising academic freedom and writing factual opinions; in other words providing an alternative to the heavily censored media dishing out regime's version of garbled truth while suppressing true information and problems that the country was facing.

Our readers correctly established that the academic in question was Professor Narsey. But early this year, he was given a three year contract after appealing his case through USP's procedures.

Our sources have established that Aiyaz Khaiyum and the regime, while powerless to do anything or directly interfere in a regional institution, found another way to flex their corrupt muscles. Fiji is the biggest financier of USP out of the member regional countries and Khaiyum together with dictator Frank Bainimarama decided to use the tactic of delaying release of money to get back at Professor Narsey through their puppet Vice Chancellor Rajesh Chandra.

This year USP's allocation from Fiji was $36 million, according to the 2011 Budget. We have established that the regime has withheld $24 million and has decided to only release the money after Professor Narsey's removal.

Rajesh Chandra used this reason to put pressure on Professor Narsey, and ignore the fact that the delay in release of money to USP was not because of Professor Narsey but that the regime is scraping the bottom of the barrel and is borrowing beyond its means to survive - as pointed out by Professor Narsey.

It was therefore only a matter of time before Rajesh Chandra, a long-time friend of Professor Narsey, deserted his colleague and trashed academic freedom to secure his own status with Khaiyum and Bainimarama.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tomorrow: What Rajesh Chandra and the regime wanted Professor Narsey to do to save his job.

A big loss to the Pacific!! With professionals like Professor Narsey, it would be a matter of minutes before he is snatched by another acedemic institution probably overseas!! As for the wannabe leaders in Fiji they have to hold onto their positions for dear life because after they are brought to justice the only thing of value will be their rear end in Naboro!!

what a shame on Baiman and Rajesh.that would be the last thing one could even think of doing.cane cutters don't backbite you gandu's have some ethics. I salute wadan for having guts to speak openly but the two suckers have shown their true colours.

Wadan you are both locally and internationally recognized for your contribution on various issues pertaining fj. This is grossly an act of cowardliness by your colleagues. The interim administration has heaps of ARKATHIS and Rajesh n Baiman are their agents.

Apart from the duty to be the critic and conscience of the communities that they proport to serve, one of the objectives in USP's mission statement is to "... promote human rights, justice, peace .....". In 1987 and 2000 (under different leadership) USP did not resile from that duty and skilfully managed the difficult situation that they found themselves in. This time around, the USP management have compromised themselves so much that their VC (who is also preoccupied with calling himself "President") is a mere extension of the junta. Not to mention the other sycophantic goons that report to him.

What does Narsey not understand when it comes to the rule of a dictator. Does he really believe Khaiyum would let him criticize the dictatorship and get away with it? And what do we have to expect from a guy like Chandra? Fighting for academic freedom? At best he wants to keep a very attractive salary and thus kisses ass like everybody else in Fiji.

Ajit Kodakoda,has contacts in judiciary in Lanka and he threatens all coming to Fiji not to talk ill or you will have difficulty getting a job back home .Why is Ajit with a GLASS in all his Photos, Vimal Suruj Sharma the Goli of CJ can tell more stories

I have known Wadan for a long time and only have great admiration for him; as an academic, as a politician, as a public commentator and as a Fijian. He is a friend and unfortunately now Fiji will lose him to some other country. What a great loss at this time.

Until you are there everyone is with you. As soon as the powers dump you...u r all alone.

In Fiji there is too little to go around in jobs. So those who have jobs but have political neutrality...they say I symphethise with with my long time friend, but I do not have BALLS to give u job as my business will suffer or military will target us.

It is easy to call some principled people aage piche, but each one of us will do the same..

Only thing is that until we F ourselfs to the ground WE will not have balls to stand together.

Even then after we stand together...after that victory..we will go back and unite against the Indians and say for the common goal of the Fijians!

This is why there are many divisions in Fiji, within political marriage and within villages there are 3 party.

Maybe this coup will take us to the point that no one will dare do another coup as they will see their greed to oppose opponents do not give any more rewards as it did under Rabuka and SDL.

Waadan will hold his head high as he leaves. Intellectual midgets like Rajesh Chandra and Biman and brow nosers like Satendra Nandan and Subramani all the others will always hold their heads in shame.USP Council take note: this is an act of thuggery. Take note that Chandra is a lackey of the system. He would be lucky to get a lectureship at any decent university.

Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organisations in the region take note: you could be next. Time to get your house in orderand get out of Fiji.

Typical of the military regime: destroy anyone who dares to criticise them.

UYSP midgets say Wadan 'went over the top.' When does one og over the top defending the values of democracy and the rule of law?

'University of the South Pacific': what a joke. You have now lost the best you had.

What thuggery, what corruption, what un-becoming, what a shame, what a disgrace, what next??!!Well, I guess that is normal with these illegal people. They are SO, SO engrossed and mind-warped that they THINK it is ok and that we are so stupid and gullible!!

It amazing that you are now critical of Professor Rajesh Chandra. Sometime back when he was the person to become Vice Chancellor -Qarase & mob decided to give it to a former South African who completely cleaned out the money that was built up by Siwatibau to atune of almost 15million dollars. I did not hear of any Fijian commentator defend Professor Chand then or critise the Vice Chancellor from South Africa! If you saying he is a puppet wonder what one would call the rest of Fijian Chiefs who do as Bainimarama demands. At the end of the day its easy for you to be critical from a distance- Professor Chand has surely had a hard time in his career form the racist positions of the Qarase Govt to deny him the Vice Chancellor position.Now you would want him to stand up for Warden, who is someone i know and was brought up with in Toorak, maybe one should ask what are the Tuakei's in Fji doing against their cousin Bainimarama! Lets not to be too critcal of others-one wonders if writers in this column would stand up to Bainimara if they lived in Fiji- a good example on how a young energetic Chief is now in Aussie, via Tonga Roko Ului! So what do we call all the Taukeis who are not standing up to Bainimarama puppets too! Dri Yani

Here goes another true son of Fiji. Here goes another academic who has been faithful and true to this country. here goes a MAN who stood up for the country of his birth and for what he believed in. Vinaka vakalevu Professor. You go with our profound thanks and appreciation. Thank you for being that voice in the wilderness and for standing up for us.You go with our blessings and prayers that the Almighty will richly bless you, your family and your future endeavors.Kemuni na TAGANE!!

. . . thats right, nothing surprises us any more. These criminals are so self deluded/crazy that they don't see anything wrong with what they are doing, and the long term detrimental affect it will have on every person inhabiting the Fiji Islands, even the ones not yet born. It will take decades to turn around the rot that has set in and surrounds the very fabric of the society. It is so serious that Fiji might well take more than one generation to recover, presuming that the nation actually has some very blessed benevolent people willing to devote their lives to become elected representatives to unselfishly serve the people in the next election.Rest assured that every crime they are committing against Fiji is just another nail in their coffin.-Sydney Tourist

Dr Wadan Narsey is a well known Economist in the Pacific and known internationally for his great work. IT will be a sad loss for FIJI but a gain for another country. This corrupt Govt is causing all the brain drain.....sob sob..ISA KO VITI...

I think it's a bit unfair to call Rajesh Chandra a "puppet" VC when he's more than qualified and took the postion at a very diifficult time when USP had actually been trashed by his predecessor. He's not always popular because he's made to make tough decisions for the best interest of the institution that he is so slavishly devoted to.

I don't know how you can accuse him of "not standing up for academic freedom" when you clearly demonstrate that his hand was forced. The man is responsible for the well being of hundreds of staff and thousands of students. What would you expect him to do?

Standing up for freedom of any kind in Fiji is a dangerous game. But ask yourself this: how do you think Dr. Narsey has managed to write so many damaging papers about the regime's financial mismanagement for so long?

What was USP academic staff association doing against this gross injustice? Not a peep was heard from union president Rohit Kishore. But Rohit is well known in USP circles as an academic lightweight who cannot survive in a university environment. A strong coup supporter, Rohit formed an unholy alliance with Rajesh and betrayed Narsey. He is a real Brutus,using his position as union president to ensure his own survival and threw Professor Narsey to the dogs. But this is the trouble with an academic weakling like Rohit leading the union - he uses the position for his own survival. Without the union presidency, someone like Rohit with his poor publishing record will be kicked out of USP. But now he is safe because of his alliance with Rajesh. Rohit's term as union president will be remembered for having betrayed, failed and stabbed Narsey in the back. It will be remembered as a disgusting, disgraceful and shameful period in USP staff union's history.

vinakavakalevu Professor Narsey for standing-up to tell the truth about Fiji for the last 30 yrs since I had known you as my land economics mentor at USP..."THE TRUTH WILL SET FIJI FREE"...may the Lord's truth spirit live in you until His calling...the region has lost one of its best economist, in fact the best of the best...you're one of the very few true indo-fijian leaders that were born & bred in Fiji that I will respect with dignity and humility, a person that stand-up for the principle of fairness and unity for all whether you're kaiviti or kaidia or kailoma or others you stood for everybody...GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY...FIJI WILL ALWAYS NEED YOU NOW AND IN THE FUTURE AS WE (THE SILENT MAJORITY) STRUGGLE TOGETHER TO MOVE FIJI FORWARD...

DOC NARSEY WILL GET ANOTHER JOB ANYTIME.WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ASK/BAI .WHEN THEY WILL BE KICKED OUT OF THE ILLEGAL GOVT.THEY WILL ROT IN JAIL.GOD BLESS DOC NARSEY/OTHER FIJI PEOPLE WHO STAND UP TO FIGHT THE REGIME.SHAME ON BIMAN/RAJESH CHANDRA.GO AND SUCK ON ASK/BAI.RAJESH

This is great. Just like our great leader Qarase said 'Sa qai matata tiko mai na matanimeke'. Let this drag on and all these slugs will crawl out of the woodwork and they will show themselves for who they really are and also empty the treasury in the process. So much for the much touted Chancellor!

When Fiji rises up again, it will not because of them. Let the exposure continue so that they do not take the credit.

All valuable intellectual assests are dismissed. How many of these have we seen durng their 4.8 years in power. They cooked & trumped up bullshit cases and persecute innocent highly qualified and experience professionals.

Rohit Kishore, a non-entity who is president of USPSA came to Fiji as a Permanent Secretary for Mineral Resources for the regime, could not hack it and got into US through the back door: he is unemployable and vacuous

Do these self-seekers ever think about the kind of role models they are for the younger generation? You should all be ashamed of yourselves, a bunch of hacks.

Shame on Rajesh Chandra for not standing up for academic freedom and succumbing to thugs like Bainibanana and his poodle ASK. Rajesh has been known to be a weakling. He has no leadership qualities and is not fit to be head of an institution of higher learning which requires guts to uphold human values and freedoms.

The blackmailing tactic used by Bainibanana and poddle ASK is deplorable. But nothing new as they have been engaged in financial blackmail of all their critics - ie. cripple them financially - i. withdrawing the check off facilities of trade unions

ii. ceasing payment of pensions of former MPs and civil servants who stood up to them

iii. threatening to suspend development assistance to Fijian provinces and institutions which do not support them

While cuting others off financially, Bainibanana and poodle ASK and his buxom aunt Nur Bano are filling their own money sacks both here and abroad in Malaysia, Dubai and china. Your time is coming Banana and poodle ASK - it won't be long!

Shame on Rajesh Chandra for not standing up for academic freedom and succumbing to thugs like Bainibanana and his poodle ASK. Rajesh has been known to be a weakling. He has no leadership qualities and is not fit to be head of an institution of higher learning which requires guts to uphold human values and freedoms.

The blackmailing tactic used by Bainibanana and poddle ASK is deplorable. But nothing new as they have been engaged in financial blackmail of all their critics - ie. cripple them financially - i. withdrawing the check off facilities of trade unions

ii. ceasing payment of pensions of former MPs and civil servants who stood up to them

iii. threatening to suspend development assistance to Fijian provinces and institutions which do not support them

While cuting others off financially, Bainibanana and poodle ASK and his buxom aunt Nur Bano are filling their own money sacks both here and abroad in Malaysia, Dubai and china. Your time is coming Banana and poodle ASK - it won't be long!

It is now time to clean up USP especially the faculty of economics and buniess. Has any noticed that all staff in the economics department from secretary to Head of department are from Biman's area (bua/Labasa) or his old mate like sunil who claim themselves to leaders in society .... now FICAC should investigate how biman and his buddies are using the research grants ... mostly filling there pockets and misusing the funds given to start new programs from the EU... if some body carefull reviews their previous expenses will be easily be able to find the misuse of funds!!!!!

We have have been losing ver highly qualified people form Fiji for years now-the biggest out flow was after the 1st COUP in 1987. Every right thinking men and his dog got out-it wasn't just the Indo-Fijians , Kai Lomas but other races who realised that Fiji was already on a downward slide! Now we are on the vaka sisi slide-the Fijians in Fiji say everything is cool-now who am i to argue against that-when Rabuka took over he was made a hero, when George Speight took over he was even a bigger hero, now you wnat me to beleive that Bainimaram is not a hero to the Fijian people! Come on i am not that stupid, i maybe dopy -BUT STUPID! Siliwai na ME-sara vidividi YEEEEEEEEEE!

Well it had to happen! If you spit in the face of a mad-dog frequently you gonna get bitten sometime.It's a shame anyway; USP losing a good teacher & a role-model for the aspiring students. Now with mediocre academics the "graduates" out of the Uni would also be just "getbys".With the "emergency regulations" around anyone who dares to show opposition to the regimme will either be on the road-side or running with a sandbag on the back at nabua. I rather have the first choice than the second.Warden is a rare breed who had the guts to write such ctitical and impressive articles and lasted for so long. Many erstwhile outspoken individuals & politicians have clammed their mouths - more tighter than even the rewa nakai - but Warden showed his true grit in the face of the imminent falling sword; history will judge hi a GIANT!

A university exists on its reputation. If reputation goes down the drain the value of its qualifications does too. Soon a degree from USP will not be worth the paper it is printed on. Students will stop enrolling and that will be the end of it.

its all MAHEND REDDY CHAAL, as Wadan was contradicting all Mahend Reddy COMMERCE COMMISSION work with better ideas,KANWA did not like it ,so went to Pinky and complained,as he Kanwa Reddy wanted to resign as he is fed up with being told what to do ,but no choice AG told him he would nat have a job anywhere in Fiji if he decides to go,so is With Bobby Jhatu Maharaj,they are both caught up in AGs net,, Ganesh is of no help either and so is IQBAL JANIF,, MARGE ANNA

its all MAHEND REDDY CHAAL, as Wadan was contradicting all Mahend Reddy COMMERCE COMMISSION work with better ideas,KANWA did not like it ,so went to Pinky and complained,as he Kanwa Reddy wanted to resign as he is fed up with being told what to do ,but no choice AG told him he would nat have a job anywhere in Fiji if he decides to go,so is With Bobby Jhatu Maharaj,they are both caught up in AGs net,, Ganesh is of no help either and so is IQBAL JANIF,, MARGE ANNA

So-called, self-styled Indian community leaders in academia and politics, Biman Prasad, Vijay Naidu, Ganesh Chand, Mahen Reddy should hang their heads in shame. These cowards are all talk, no action. They are all for themselves. If they cannot stand up for a colleague like Wadan, they will never stand up for the rest of us. This is a wake-up call to to the Indian community about the traitorous nature of these people. These people are a bunch of nincompoops unworthy of our respect or support. People's true nature comes to the surface in times of adversity. Over the years these people have been quick to make highfaluting media statements and lecture to us but when it matters they are quite as a mouse. The have no backbone. How pathetic. How can they sleep at night? They should all dies of shame.

USP Now-a-days is in Mess. They just try to keep one good Mascot from outside for general public but from in side there is no quality of teaching and research at all. Due to high turnover of staff in all faculties USP could produce only 7 Ph.Ds in last 10 years. What a Shame! There are lots of Gang and mafia working in different schools and you have to work by aligning with them or leave the organization. Unfortunately students are real sufferer. USP also discriminate in salaries based on races and other non-merit issues. People should tink 100 times before joining USP.

The pig Voceke and his boss Aiyarse should not interfere with USP because it's not Fiji's university. Besides what does an uneducated moron like Voceke know about a university? A question comes up, where's the USP council?